Donald Trump to skip GOP debate over stoush with Fox News moderator

Republican frontrunner Donald Trump will not attend Thursday’s Fox News GOP debate, just four days before Iowa kicks off the presidential nomination process.

At a debate during a campaign event, Mr Trump today told reporters, “probably I won’t be doing the debate”, calling Fox News anchor and debate moderator Megyn Kelly “not a reporter” and a “lightweight”.

Kelly drew the ire of Mr Trump at the August debate, in which he accused her of bias against him.

“Let’s see how much money Fox is going to make on the debate without me,” he said.

“Megyn Kelly is an excellent journalist and the entire network stands behind her," he told The Washington Post.

“She will absolutely be on the debate stage on Thursday night."

Mr Trump's absence would leave a huge hole on the Des Moines stage, where fellow Republicans including Senator Ted Cruz, Senator Marco Rubio, retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson and former Florida governor Jeb Bush will be making their final pitch to Iowa voters.

Cruz campaign spokesman Rick Tyler blasted Trump's decision as "erratic" and foolish behaviour from a presidential hopeful, especially considering a large segment of voters say they have not finalized their support for a candidate.

Bailing out on a debate "because he has a problem with the host is just childish," he told CNN.